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Brrrr!—It’s getting chilly out there. Shouldn’t you put on a sweater? But before you go looking for something wooly to wear, consider this: Do you really want to put on something that itches, smells (think musty mothballs and wet dog), and causes sheep pain, misery and death? We didn’t think so.

From having huge chunks of their backsides hacked off in a gruesome procedure called “mulesing ” to being shipped to the Middle East to be turned into kebobs, the Australian wool industry is a bloody business full of pain and suffering. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to find sheep-friendly fabrics like polyester fleece, acrylic, cotton flannel, Gore-Tex, Thermolite, and Thinsulate at most mainstream merchandisers.

Want to help sheep? Boycott Australian wool and tell all of your Little Bo “Peeps” to do the same. Join our Activist Network to get active for sheep today!

Happy World Vegetarian Week!   

Forget grease-laden drumsticks that go right to your thighs and nasty nuggets made of tortured chicken bits —nothing says “yum” like a veggie burger with the works! If you‘re not already living la vida vegan, take the opportunity during World Vegetarian Week (May 19-25) to give vegetarianism a try.

Need some food for thought? Consider these facts: Vegetarians save the lives of more than 100 animals per year, and are on average, 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat eaters.   Many vegetarians report that after cutting meat out of their diets, they feel better, have clearer skin, and have more energy.

Plus, all the cool kids are doing it. Considering Missy Higgins, JD Fortune, Kisschasy’s Darren Cordeux, and rocker Xavier Rudd (check out what this didgeridoo-playing dude has to say about going veg here ), are all vegetarian, you’ll be in good company.    

Convinced? Good. Switching to a plant-based diet is as easy as Chocolate Tofu Pie . Check out these tips and these recipes and you’ll be a bonafide Veg Head in no time!

What do the Vines, Jet, Something for Kate and the Red Riders all have in common (besides being on your iPod play list)? Members from all these groups have signed PETA Asia Pacific's petition urging the Canadian government to stop the slaughter of baby seals for fur. Canada's annual seal hunt, which is in progress, is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on the planet. More than 330,000 baby seals were killed last year alone. Most of the seals killed are 3 months old or younger. Many are still nursing and haven't learned how to swim. Sealers strike the seals on the head again and again or shoot them point-blank. As many as 42 per cent of the seals slaughtered in the hunt are skinned alive. Dead and dying animals are tossed together to rot in heaps on the ice.
Being heartbroken is not enough. Sign our petition calling for a permanent end to this cruel hunt!

She may have been the Queen of the Jungle at the recent BRITs, but Kylie Minogue’s passion for purses made out of real pythons really bites. Seriously, what was up with that super-tacky gold python purse she was spotted sporting around town not too long ago? It was so huge it looked like it had a belly full of budgies. Just when you thought nothing could be more distasteful than shiny metallic tracksuits, the fiendish fashion world is now crawling with accessories made of tortured snakes.

Making bags, shoes and other accessories out of exotic skin is about as cold-blooded as it gets. Snakes and lizards are nailed to trees and skinned alive, and crocs and gators are beaten to death with bats. These days, there’s a wild kingdom of designer fake snake, mock croc and python pleather that pay tribute to the beauty of these animals without making them fashion victims. Check out these trendy and animal-friendly options: Nova at the Pitt Street Mall in Sydney and Vegan Wares in Melbourne .

Blinding bunnies for beauty? You’ve got to be kidding, right? Sickeningly enough, there are still companies out there who get off on dropping chemicals into rabbits' eyes and spreading burning goop onto the backs of mice—all for the sake of vanity. And don’t even get me started about the nasty ingredients that are lurking in lip glosses and mucking about in mascara. We’re talking about beeswax, cow brains (tissue and tallow), lanolin (sheep fat), cochineal (bugs squished dead to make your lipstick red), and even gelatin (there’s a reason that it rhymes with ‘skeleton’). The list goes on and on. But, guess what? Finding cruelty-free cosmetics (products not made from or tested on animals) is easy if you know who the good guys are. Here’s a list of cool, cruelty-free companies that will help you create a killer look without having to kill animals.

It takes a helluva woman to pull off a full length gown made of lettuce. It takes an even cooler kinda “neighbour” to rock said refrigerator crisper coutore for the sake of animals. That’s why we heart Pippa Black. As a matter of fact, we heart the Hill Top Hoods’ Suffa, Something For Kate and Missy Higgins for the same reason: they’ve all lent their time and talent to PETA Asia Pacific, the biggest and best AR org. in the bizzo.

Why are all these stars speaking out for animals? Because animals have a right not to be tortured, tested on or turned into a belt or a burger. In today’s world of virtually unlimited choices, you have the power to spare animals excruciating pain by making better choices about the food you eat, the things you buy, and the activities you support. Want more food for thought? Check out PETAAsiaPacific.com for yourself.